"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

“We’re not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we’re providing Americans the kind of help they need. I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone,” Obama said Tuesday as he convened his first Cabinet meeting of the year.
Obama continued: ”And I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions that move the ball forward in helping to make sure our kids are getting the best education possible, making sure that our businesses are getting the kind of support and help they need to grow and advance, to make sure that people are getting the skills that they need to get those jobs that our businesses are creating.”

The title of this post does not mean to imply a lack of respect for #OccupyResoluteDesk’s low animal cunning. Past all of the bluster, though, what does this mean? Is it tantamount to saying that our separation of powers is moot? Is the pack of limp-wristed sycophants on Capitol Hill sufficiently softened by the ObamaCare hijinks that they’ll cheerfully pass a law backing up Obama’s fiats, to keep the fig leaf in place?
To paraphrase George R. R. Martin: November is coming.

Comments

His “I’ve got a pen” comment takes me back to Ross Perot and his “take a screwdriver and fix the government” statement (something to that effect) during the Clinton-Bush-Perot” debate.

http://www.journal14.com/ Dana

Alas! He does have brains, and he is dangerous, very dangerous.

http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

Best prepare for incoming. Scoop posted on this, and it was like lighting the “Totalitarian Nutjobs Welcome!” sign.

The last days of barack’s Administration are going to be nasty, brutish, and short.

Unfortunately their effect will be long lived.

Matthew W

“Is the pack of limp-wristed sycophants on Capitol Hill sufficiently softened by the ObamaCare hijinks..”

I think the Obama NSA has a picture of every congresscritter doing a goat.

richard mcenroe

“Smitty, this is not the hill to die on. Best wishes, Mitch.”

richard mcenroe

Trouble is, between Reid, McConnell, Boehner and Hoyer whipping everyone into line, it’s the same goat.
And yes, the whip is in the photo.

Matthew W

Hey Mitch, which hill do you want to die on?

http://deadrepublicanparty.wordpress.com/ rmnixondeceased

It means the empty suit has declared himself dictator, a dictator who will rule by executive fiat. Reminds he greatly of Adolf in 1933 … will he annex Mexico later this year using the “lebensraum” excuse?

http://itsaboutliberty.com/index.php MNHawk

Ironic that on the same day I read about our stuttering clusterf(ail) announcing his power grab, I read about the Philippines President refusing such power, legislators were trying to grant him, to deal with an electrical power crisis.

I guess you have to live in a place that’s gone Full Marcos, to appreciate the danger of a piece of anti-American Democrat garbage trying to move in that direction.

Quartermaster

He hasn’t found one yet. Besides, he still has buddies he hasn’t given any goodies yet.

Quartermaster

FedGov needs to have a chainsaw taken to it. 98%+ of what it does it has no authority for.

Actually Smitty, Democrats are running for the hills at this point trying to avoid the oncoming tsunami. There is no ground far enough or high enough that will save them from the crashing wave in November.

I’ve always thought the French had the right idea at Dien Bien Phu. Cheers, Mitch.

richard mcenroe

Dammit, we haven’t got time for this election shit. We’ve got too much to do to crush our base! Love, Mitch.

http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

I just rushed over to make sure he heard! The last time I was this happy about a congressman getting beat was Tom Foley, I think. (Well, Grayson, but all that joy went away when he came back).

http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

What he means is he will continue to flaunt the Constitution at will. He knows Harry Reid has his back.

His power will be virtually unchecked until the court cases “ripen” – but the NLRB decision should be a gauge. If it is 7-2 or 8-1 against him, he may feel restrained from some of the most outrageous nonsense.

Dave Mears

he can’t wave a pen and make sure educational outcomes are best for our children, as what is best for our children is both not universally true (any change that improves outcome for some fraction of children will worsen the outcome for some other fraction of children) subject to lowering the bars (if you reduce the fitness requirement more people pass it) and are not constant given changing technology. Executive action is perhaps the least good way to deal with these issues, since the common needs of tens of millions of children are not the same as the common needs of tens of children, so the potential to fix anything is somewhat more remote. But, man, does it sound good to say I’ll wave my pen and fix the world with my kingly charm. Though to me, it sounds like “I have no idea what the problem is, but if I tell people to fix it it should become better.”

http://www.redstateeclectic.typepad.com AngelaTC

Yep. ANd it isn’t like the GOP won’t take advantage of the precedent when they’re in office.
He knows how to play offense than any conservative since Reagan.

http://thecampofthesaints.org Bob Belvedere

The verdict is still out, it seems to me, on whether ‘Barack Hussein Obama’ has brains, but most certainly Axelrod and Jarrett do.

Shawny1

Yes, ripen, ripen, ripen (like we don’t pay big bucks to the other two branches of government to provide checks and balances to the executive branch)……But if some of our elected representatives don’t get busy “checking” his smug, little, wannabe dictator ass then it’s going to require an uprising and a housecleaning. This guy doesn’t feel restrained in the face of any vote. He just spins it into someone elses fault, shoots it through some department as a new regulation, or redefines it as a success and continues to do whatever the hell he was going to do anyway. Even if he loses the court cases, the rule of law is broken and doesn’t apply to supreme rulers.

http://thecampofthesaints.org Bob Belvedere

Don’t bet on it.

The Left In America believes this is their moment, when Destiny has called them, once in a lifetime.

Shawny1

Ooooooo, now THAT’S some conservative porn there Baby!! ; )

http://alanye.com/ Dai Alanye

“Flout” not “flaunt.”

Sorry about going semantic on you.

Shawny1

He’s making you look like a saint, Dicky. To even attempt such a widespread abuse of power in this country one would have to be on crack…….oh wait!

Shawny1

Gotta be.

Shawny1

Ahhhhh geez, no self-respecting goat could even be whipped into that.

http://deadrepublicanparty.wordpress.com/ rmnixondeceased

I think you’re on to something there …

Shawny1

That’s going to make them dangerous and desperate to hold on to the power. But they also can see that Obama is screwing up decades of carefully planned subversion and indoctrination with his failures. And that the power they have amassed in the hands of the other side is going to BURN.

Steve Skubinna

He’s not even going to wait for the Reichstag to burn down?

Quartermaster

I’ll believe it when I see it. The GOP establishment has too much of a habit of pulling defeat from the jaws of victory. Even if it happens, if you end with idiots like McConnell, Graham and Cornyn back in, all bets are off anyway. Nothing will be accomplished.